The brightest minds
Of that generation
Let the atomic genie
Out of the bottle
Technological hubris
Follow the leader
Utopia of plentiful energy
Patriotic flag-unfurling
We must get there first
Whatever their reasons
Stated, unstated
Quoted, misquoted
They were all
Each one
Accessories before the fact
The same reasons
Are being paraded today
In various contexts
By today’s brightest minds
They would do well
To remember
That it is easier
To let a genie
Out of a bottle
Than to
Stopper it up again